Flaming Arrows, Burning Bread
by Drew Demeter
Summary: Sir Guy of Gisborne's daughter,the one he never wanted, has joined Robin Hood against her father's wishes. But between strained loyalty to her father and growing love for a certain blue-eyed outlaw, this girl is not what she appears. ON HIATUS until I finish my other multi-chapter fic
1. The Stranger

**Flaming Arrows, Burning Bread- a Robin Hood BBC fanfic**

**A/N: Hello, lovely readers! I am so sorry that I've been away for so long- exams are coming up, softball is coming to an end, and of course it's almost the end of the school year. But I'm back, and this time I've decided to try writing in a new fandom that I recently became obsessed with.**

**Before you read, I'd recommend the series Robin Hood on BBC to anyone. I guess it's not completely necessary to understand the plot since this won't be canon, but it's an amazing show and I can't believe they cancelled it! Also, message me and tell me who your favorite guy is (mine is most definitely Allan with Much, Robin, and Will coming in close second). Anyway, thanks for reading this long author's note, and now we can get down to business :)**

**Note to readers of Broken Promises: I have currently run out of ideas for it, so anything would be great help. I've decided to keep writing fanfiction for the time being and work on my own novel over the summer. Thank you for sticking with me all this time, especially if you're reading this story and have absolutely no idea what it's about.**

**Ok, now we can begin (sort of)…**

**Author: **Drew Demeter

**Pairings: **It's a surprise!

**Rating: **T to be safe, may have to change it to M for future chapters

**Summary: **Sir Guy of Gisborne's daughter, the one he never wanted but was forced to keep, has joined Robin Hood's notorious gang of outlaws against her father's wishes. But between strained loyalty to her father and growing love for a certain blue-eyed outlaw, this girl is not what she appears.

**Warnings: **probably nothing worse than the series- maybe some added adult themes.

**Disclaimer: **Everything you recognize from the show belongs to BBC (unfortunately)

***Takes place between seasons 1 and 2**

**The Stranger**

It was a cold day in Nottingham when she left. The leaves had just turned colors, fading from vibrant greens to soft browns and orangey hues. Fall was always her favorite time of year- it wasn't so hot that you could practically feel the flies swarming around you. And it wasn't so cold that you could hear the chattering teeth of the people in the dungeons.

Brianna of Gisborne- Bri for short- had always hated life at the castle, but what other choice did she have? Her mother, a lady of high rank, had died in childbirth, and her father had promised the dying woman that he would always keep the baby safe and sheltered. And that he did- Bri had never before left the walls of Nottingham, even though her father had recently received the estate of Locksley. She had always resented him for that- Guy of Gisborne didn't even let his own _child _into his life and home. No, she was kept at the castle for safekeeping, wandering around day in and day out and being harassed by the stupid guards.

Well, not all of them were stupid. Before he died of pneumonia that past winter, her favorite guard Daniel taught her how to defend herself. Bri was quite possibly one of the only maidens in England who could duel against a full-grown man and win.

Of course, no one could know about that. The Sheriff, who acted as one of her primary caregivers when Gisborne was away, would definitely hang her for treason or something like that if he ever found out. None of the men in her life were ever really fatherly towards her. Hell, the closest she and her real father had ever gotten to love was an awkward pat on the back when her favorite of the castle hunting dogs died.

And that, Bri reasoned with herself, was why she was leaving. If she quite possibly spent anymore time in that dark, sinister place, preoccupied with thoughts of a father who hid her away and a mother who was cold in the grave for sixteen years now, she would go insane. And then they'd lock her in the dungeons for sure, as the castle guards had threatened to do many times when she appeared at the dungeon doors with food for the prisoners.

It was relatively easy to get out of the castle- once a week, with her father's approval, the guards let her attend the market in the central square. The trickiest part was finding a way to distract her escorts so she could slip out of one of the gates and get away from Nottingham.

Even that turned out to be easier than expected. When they entered the market, Bri just pretended she had seen a man stealing from the baker's stall. While the guard went up to sort things out, she pulled the hood of her plainest brown cloak over her head and ran out of the city, taken shelter behind an old donkey cart. Before she could cause any disturbance with the cart driver, she disappeared into the forest surrounding Nottingham on the north side.

Once she was out of sight of any of the castle guards, Bri threw back her head and laughed, spinning around and around in circles, so happy to be free. She knew now there was no turning back; she would never be able to live the life of luxury again. Well, at least not until the king returned from the Holy Land. Then she would be able to come out of hiding, find a husband, and start a family. She'd never have to worry about her father again.

Finally, she plopped onto the ground, dizzy and giddy, and dug her fingers into the cool fall leaves still wet with morning dew. She had hidden a short dagger in her cloak before leaving the castle, and Bri felt its outline against the material of her thin dress. She would have to get more reasonable clothes, she thought, if she were to live out here. Maybe she'd even cut her long dark hair and dress like a boy, just for the sake of being able to move around.

But all of that would come later. First she had to find who she was looking for.

Sir Guy of Gisborne sat in the bath at his manor in Locksley, taking the time to enjoy the warm water and smell the aroma of rose petals drifting around him. The bath was a comfortable place, he decided. Perfect for thinking and scheming.

The bath was also a place of melancholy for him, since roses were the favorite flower of his late wife, Lady Mary of Gisborne. She had been like a light in a very dark sea for him, always there, always smiling. He remembered, back when they were betrothed, how she used to grab his hand and press it to her soft cheeks, red with happiness. And then he would laugh.

But that was a long time ago. Before the baby came. The damn baby who wasn't even a son, who would kill Mary and leave him all alone. The baby who never slept, but cried and cried for her mother. The baby who grew up distant from Gisborne, because she reminded him too much of Mary. They shared the same dark brown curls and the same freckly face. The only things that Brianna hadn't inherited from her mother were her eyes. While Mary's were light and vibrant blue, Brianna's were dark and not as round, like Gisborne's.

Lost in his memories, Gisborne hadn't realized that he had started to cry, tears dripping down his hooked nose and splashing into the bath. As he was wiping them away carefully, there was a frantic knock on the door.

"Come in," Gisborne called, thanking God that he was in the bath and the tears blended in well.

A messenger from the castle, dressed in the traditional yellow and black, strode in with a panicked expression on his face. He looked very scared.

"Master Gisborne, sir-"

"Spit it out, will you, or I'll have your tongue cut out!" Gisborne spat, feeling more like his old self.

The page looked more frightened than ever.

"Well, Master, it's your daughter."

"What about her?" Gisborne said coolly. She probably just tried to feed the peasants again or something unnecessary like that.

But he wasn't prepared for what the man said next.

"She's gone missing, sir."

With a howl of rage, Gisborne jumped out of the bath and, wrapping a towel around himself quickly, took out the little dagger that he kept in his pocket for times like this. The man was dead before he could move.

Gisborne didn't care about the girl. In fact, he wished her dead.

But Brianna knew plenty of secret plots, having been invited to meetings since the time she could walk. The Sheriff reasoned, "if she's never to go out, there's little harm in her presence, is there Gisborne?"

And Gisborne could only imagine who she would tell them to.

Allan and Will had gone out scouting earlier in the morning while the others practiced with their weapons of choice. Now, the young men came running around the corner, panting and wide-eyed.

Robin put up a hand to stop Djaq from impaling him with the sword they were practicing with. He eyed his men expectantly. "Well?"

Both men were doubled over, sucking in breath. It was Allan who was first to recover. "There's…a girl," he pointed in the direction where they'd come. "A… girl… in… the forest."

Robin nodded, his eyes twinkling. "Well, let's go see who she is lads." And with that, the ragtag group of five followed their leader towards the stranger.

Allan and Will brought up the rear, occasionally shouting which direction to go but mostly talking in hushed tones.

"Did you get a chance to see her face, mate?" Allan leaned in towards his best friend, ever the lady's man. It was a wonder how he and Will were even friends- whereas Will was quiet and shy when it came to women, Allan was loud and radiated confidence.

"No." Will replied, stroking his developing mustache thoughtfully. "Just looked like she was resting to me. Her head was turned away."

"I heard that some nobleman's daughter was kidnapped recently." Allan replied. "Reckon it's her?"

But before Will had a chance to answer, the group came to an abrupt halt and Allan practically slammed into the back of Little John, a tall hulk of a man who always carried a staff with him as his weapon of choice.

"Sorry, mate," Allan muttered at the glaring John, flashing him a quick smile. Hey, it worked on the ladies.

Robin came back towards them and hauled Will to the front. The rest of the group tagged behind.

"That her?" Robin asked, pointing out a small figure sitting at the stream a couple of yards away. She was wearing the same cloak as the other girl. Will nodded in agreement.

"_That's _the girl we're on a mad goose chase for?" Much, Robin's talkative former manservant and best friend pushed his way to the front of the group, crouching on one knee. "She's a bit of a thing, isn't she? How'd she get out here?"

"Well, she doesn't seem like much of a threat," Robin reasoned, starting down the hill. "Why don't we go ask her, eh lads? Anyway, even if she were to put up a fight, we outnumber her six to one."

The rest of the group consented, and Robin lead the way to the strange girl.

Bri was just bending down to take a sip of water from the little stream when she heard a branch crack behind her. On full alert, she spun around and found herself surrounded by a ragtag group of outlaws, from the looks of it. They all had their weapons drawn, and Bri had no choice but to stand still in surrender. She would never win a fight against these people.

Besides, they might be the group of outlaws she was looking for.

A handsome young man with shaggy brown hair and foggy blue eyes walked up to her, his arrow tip close to her chest. "This," he said mischievously, "is an ambush."

Bri was ready for this.

"I don't have any money, sir, or anything except the clothes I am wearing." She wondered how long it would be before they realized she had a dagger. Hopefully long enough for her to finish. "I just want to ask you a question."

Behind the man who was obviously the leader, there was a handful of other people, about five maybe. Four men and one woman, a Saracen, dressed to look like a man. The leader turned and seemed to consult the others before he answered, "Sure, why not? I guess one question won't hurt."

"But try anything funny," a blond man piped up, "And we'll have no choice but to kill you."

Bri gulped, but now they were all looking at her expectantly. So she pressed on. "I'm looking for Robin Hood," she said, watching as the others exchanged looks of amusement. The leader put down his bow and arrow and smiled at her.

"That would be me," he said, sticking out a hand. Bri shook it heartily and looked curiously behind him at the others. She recognized some of them from the castle- Robin Hood's gang almost always had business there. Sadly, the Sheriff always locked her in her room when the outlaws came calling, so she had to do with peeking at them through the window as they made their escape. Watching the gang had convinced her to come find them in the first place.

Robin was still staring at her, his head cocked a bit to the side, thinking. "I don't suppose you could tell me who you are?" he asked gently, smiling. Bri, feeling warm and embarrassed, smiled back.

"I'm Brianna- Bri- of- just Bri," she said, reminding herself that the outlaws didn't like her father anymore than she herself did. "And I've come to see if you could help me."

Robin just looked at her expectantly, so she continued.

"I've been confined my whole life in the castle- my mother died when I was but a child, see, and my father wishes me dead as well. So he kept me locked up. All the same, I've heard tell of what the Sheriff and Guy of Gisborne are doing to the people, and I want to stop it. So I escaped and came here to ask you if you had any purpose for me here."

"Oi," said a man behind Robin. He had bright blue eyes and light brown hair with plenty of stubble on his face, as to be expected of an outlaw. "We've been up to the castle many times. Not bein' funny, but why 'aven't I seen you there?"

"I'm kept locked up," Bri said quietly. "It's like the dungeons in its own sort of way. I was never allowed to travel away from Nottingham. The Sheriff always kept me in during executions and the like b'cause he thought I'd be hurt or have a chance to run away. You see," she said, dropping her voice a little mostly out of habit from when she lived in the castle, "I know all of the Sheriff's plans, and I can help explain them to you, if only you'll let me stay. And I know my way around the castle even blindfolded. I want to help others, really I do. Just give me one chance."

Although the other men chatted in dropped voices, Robin had already made up his mind.

"You seem like you'd be a valuable asset, and if I can see the way you fight I'd like you even more. What do you say, lads? Give Bri here a chance?"

And every single outlaw nodded yes.


	2. Night Watching

**A/N: sorry for the delayed update! Thanks to my solo reviewer, mskaityw, who has undoubtedly waiting for this chapter for more than a month. And a huge thanks to all of the others who have favorited/reviewed my story. Here is your chapter!**

**Note- in this fic, Allan WILL NOT betray the gang, and has never done so before. Just wanted to clear that up!**

**Night Watching**

_3 weeks later_

Bri of Gisborne crouched behind a thick bit of foliage on the outskirts of Locksley, waiting for Robin's signal. The sun had set less than an hour ago, leaving the smoky blue of dusk in its wake. The perfect time for an ambush. Next to Bri, barely visible in his dusty black cloak, Allan A Dale stood, leaning against a gnarly tree and playing with his knife, bored. Bri looked up at her companion in annoyance. Though she loved Allan, and the rest of the gang, as if they were her own kin, he wasn't the most patient of fellows.

"Allan," Bri hissed, tucking an unruly curl behind her ear. "Get down or someone'll see you!"

The man laughed, a deep musical sound that caused everyone around him to want to laugh as well. "Ah, and who here'll give a damn whether or not Robin 'ood's man is standin' on the edge of the wood, huh Bri? You father'n his men left for London yester night- Marian told us that."

Bri had to smile at this, though a darkness briefly passed over her features at the mention of her father. Allan was right; that was the precise reason that the gang had decided to make the trip to Locksley that night. Rumor had it that Guy was keeping extra tax money in his own home, a piece of information Bri had picked up from one of the castle guards who still liked her. If the gang could retrieve the money before it was transported, there was less risk for the gang.

And even though it went unsaid, everyone knew that Robin wanted an excuse to see his beloved home.

Suddenly, a lantern bobbed in the darkness of the forest opposite them- the signal. On cue, Bri and Allan jumped up and snuck swiftly towards Locksley Manor, meeting the rest of the gang on the way. The guards Guy left as a precautionary tactic were all out cold, and Will was at work on the lock. It seemed that the manor was abandoned; when the door finally swung open, not a soul was in sight, and the lights were all blown out, candles left cold in their spots along the walls. Robin tread cautiously anyway, not wanting to wake any unseen servants or whoever else waited on Gisborne. They managed to get to the stairs unnoticed before Robin declared that two of the gang stay to guard the front door and alert him to any trouble. Allan and Bri, as usual, were stuck with that particular duty.

Bri hadn't been with Robin for much more than a fortnight, and frankly, she felt useless and unneeded every time they went on a raid. Although she was particularly good with a sword (having beat Robin himself countless times during practice), so were Allan, and Much, and Djaq. And because of her background, Bri had the suspicions that she was not the most trusted of the lot.

In fact, if it weren't for the company the gang had provided her, Bri would have been off long ago.

But it was true, she loved them, each and every one. They provided the companionship she had repeatedly been denied since birth; Djaq became her first female friend, with the exception of her old ladies-in-waiting. Will was her older brother, the type of guy she could laugh and joke with. Much and Robin her slightly rowdy cousins, or perhaps good friends, and Little John was like a father to them all.

And Allan- well, Bri didn't know quite what to make of Allan's role in her life.

In the dim light from the moon and stars just beginning to make their appearance, he looked almost _godlike, _his blue eyes glistening and his hair highlighted and flecked with gold. She ached for him in a way she didn't understand- almost as if her very insides were pouring out, molten and fiery. She wondered if this was how Marian felt around Robin.

Allan noticed Bri staring at him and a slight blush crept up him neck. He smiled jovially.

"Luv, I know I'm beautiful an' all, but now aint the time for starin'. We've got a job to do."

Bri felt the blood rush to her cheeks and she looked away, smiling shyly. Allan seemed to have changed her. Normally, at such a remark, she would have laughed and poked fun at the man who uttered it. But with him… well, she felt like a silly child.

"Do you think Robin trusts me?" she asked out of the blue, immediately wishing she hadn't spoken when Allan turned his intense gaze back on her. His features softened; he was no longer the jokester everyone thought of him as. Now, he was deep, sorrowful, and all too knowledgeable of the pains of life. It was rare to get him in such a form as this.

"Brianna," he said, using her full name for increased effect. "O' course 'e trusts you. It was you 'o told us about this particularly juicy plan Giz had cooked up, wa'nt it? Robin… he just despises yer father, that's all. Maybe more than the rest of us do."

They lapsed into comfortable silence, Bri trying to stop herself from hopping on Allan's lap and kissing him soundly on the mouth. He was the only one whose words could reassure her.

"Ya know," Allan said suddenly. "I've been hated too. By my family, I mean. My da… well, he wa'nt a very nice guy. He… he…. beat us. Me 'specially 'cause I tried to stop him from beatin' my brother. Then my ma got sick, 'n he was nicer for a while. But when she died… well, Tom and me ran."

His eyes were watery and his lips trembled as he tried not to cry. Bri really felt for him now. "I know how you feel," she muttered, turning her eyes shyly up to his. They were bright and sorrowful, bottomless orbs of crystal blue sea. Bri had never seen such beauty in her life.

Maybe it was heat of the moment that caused her to go for it, or the fact that boldness was in her nature. Or maybe it was that the time was perfect for a little kiss, a reminder that the world was not all tears and buckets of regret. And as an experiment, to see if the connection between them was something only she could see.

Whatever the reason, Bri leaned in and pressed her lips chastely to the outlaw's, the intoxicating smell of his skin pulling her further in, drowning her. And after a shocked moment, those beautiful blue eyes closed, and the whole world was still for a moment.

**A/N: Please review- they fuel me to write!**


	3. Blind Lies

**A/N: thanks to Eixxel-Ferrare for your review… that, plus a lot of free time, propelled me to update so quickly! Here's chapter 3, and as always, enjoy and review!**

**Blind Lies**

The couple finally broke apart when Much cleared his throat quite loudly, causing laughter to erupt amongst the others present. Bri and Allan regarded each other shyly in the light of the new moon, which had apparently finished its assent into the sky while they were… occupied. Robin shook his head, smiling at his friends and jingling the large sack in his hands, signaling that the mission had succeeded. For the rest of the journey back to camp, Allan and Bri avoided looking at each other as well as anyone else. Allan had a dumbstruck grin plastered onto his face, causing Will to burst into a fit of laughter when he glanced towards his best friend. The laughter was immediately ceased with a look from Bri.

In truth, the girl didn't quite know what to make of the kiss. Sure, it was lovely; his lips were so soft and full, his tongue pushing against her lips persistently, begging for entrance. But she was certain that it was a onetime thing. After all, two busy outlaws on a run from the law couldn't afford to fall in love.

Not that Bri was _in love _with Allan. She merely liked him as a friend, that was all.

A friend with a _very _agreeable mouth, but a friend all the same.

But she knew that everything she had been telling herself was a lie. She cared about Allan; she just wasn't sure if she could accept the consequences.

/

While the rest of the outlaws turned in as soon as they hit camp, Allan lay awake in his bunk, tossing and turning, unable to wipe the stupid grin off of his face. That… well, _that _was something. He wouldn't have thought the girl to be capable of such a hypnotizing kiss, but all the same, it was incredibly hard for him to forget the feel of her lips against his. Chaste thing, she refused to open her mouth for him. While it was somewhat frustrating, he liked the change from the normal tavern whores that he kissed, who started fast and passionate, no build-up required. It was nice to every so often experience a different sort of mouth on his.

He knew that it wouldn't last, for he was Allan A Dale, Robin Hood's man, doomed to forever be in the shade. Most of the time he was okay with being the front man, the trickster, the one that was no longer really needed in the real fight. But sometimes he wished that _he _was Robin instead, the one with the glory, the girl. The one who was certain to have a brighter future if and when the Lionheart returned from battle.

Unable to sleep from the thoughts clouding his head, Allan slipped out of his bunk as quietly as possible, making his way to the stream just outside the camp.

/

When Allan reached the stream, he discovered that he wasn't the only one unable to sleep. Bri started when she heard footsteps behind her, drawing her knife and spinning around within a second. Allan held up his hands in surrender.

"Relax, Luv," he whispered, allowing a small smile to cross his face. "It's just me."

"Oh." Her knife clattered to the ground, just inches away from the running water, but the tenseness did not leave her body. The thought occurred to Allan that maybe she regretted their previous actions, and the happiness deflated from his body pretty quickly.

She noticed the sudden change in mood. "What's the matter, Allan?"

The concern was obvious in her voice. He was touched that she cared.

"Nothin'" he replied, plopping down next to her on the rocks. Instinctively, she leaned into him. "Just thinkin', is all."

Bri groaned and covered her face with her hands. "Join the club. I've been tossing and turning for hours."

Being careful so as not to frighten her, Allan sneakily snaked an arm around her waist, pulling her further into him to gauge her reaction. She immediately tensed, removing her hands and looking up at him with fearful eyes, shaking her head slightly.

"No Allan. We can't do this. Not here."

He was confused. "But why not? Don't ya… ya know… care for me 'n stuff?"

"Of course I do!" she cried much too loudly. Blushing, she continued in a smaller voice. "I do care about you more than the others. But it's especially dangerous for me to fall in love right now."

"Why?" Allan turned his face away from her, both happy and confused from her confession and rejection. Finally, it clicked into place.

"Look at me." He commanded, raising her chin so they were staring each other in the eye. "Are you afraid of yer father, it that it? D'ya think he'd use me to find you? C'mon Bri, 'snot like anyone outside o' the group knows you care fer me, right?"

"Not yet they don't!" Bri's voice was dangerously loud again, causing Allan to look worriedly towards the dark camp. "But they'll find out soon enough, if you keep on acting like this in public! That kiss… it was a mistake, you hear me? A huge mistake! I can't afford to love anyone right now, not with my father looking for me!"

"I can deal with it."

"Not if someone told him about the kiss. Not if he captures you and tortures you to within an inch of your life to get back at _me _for running away. Not if he forces me to return and then proceeds to destroy everything that I care about!"

"'Snot that difficult-"

"It's not that easy either!" Angry tears dropped down Bri's face, creating little tracks in the dirt. Allan reached out to brush them away gently with his thumb.

That slight action drew all of the fight out of the girl, and she slumped into his arms, sobbing wildly into his shirt. And he held her, muttering sweet nothings in her ear, until the first light of day, when they both fell asleep by the gurgling water.

/

Guy of Gisborne stormed around his bedroom, throwing things everywhere and yelling at his frightened servants. Hood… he had found the tax money! Guy had been extra careful this time- transporting the money in the dead of night, telling only his most faithful guards about the plan. But apparently someone had betrayed him to his own daughter, who had turned against him. Oh, the things he would do to her when he found her again…

Trembling with anger, he called one of his guards into his room. The man looked frightened to death as Gisborne turned his steely gaze onto him.

"You! Gather your men and head to the wood! Find Hood and his gang… and bring me my girl. _Dead or alive._ Any peasant with information as to their whereabouts will be rewarded ten pence. Anyone withdrawing information or housing Hood's men will be put to death immediately. Now GO!"

And so began the search Bri had predicted.


	4. Search Parties

**A/N: so my other multi-chap fic Broken Promises is finally done, so I have extra time to write more on here! Sorry for keeping it off for so long- I'll try and update when I can from now on, okay? Thanks for sticking with me here :)**

**Search Parties**

The search party for Bri of Gisbourne reached Locksley by evening the same day, and already some of the starving, desperate peasants were offering up information regarding the gang.

"I saw 'er here last night, I did," a toothless old woman whispered conspiringly to one of the guards. "By the Lord's manner, she was. Lockin' lips with some man." She shook her head, disgusted, as the guard handed over the pence. At the time, he took no heed to her words. But he should have.

He really should have.

/

Robin crouched in the bushes surrounding Locksley, watching the peasants pour out information of his whereabouts, both true and false. Finally, he'd had enough, and took off for camp at a run.

Much and Bri were fooling around by the fire, laughing as they threw twigs at each other and into the food. Allan looked on in annoyance, carving a small tree branch perhaps rougher than needed.

"Oi, you two! I'm not bein' funny, but if I end up eatin' twigs for supper, I'll kill you!"

Normally, Robin would have had no problem joining in with the others, but he had something important to tell them. "Much, Bri, stop playing with the food and get over here. I have something important to tell you." Little John appeared from behind a part of the shelter, where apparently he was mending a tear. Robin looked around.

"Wait… where're Will and Djaq?"

For some odd reason, Bri blushed deeply and Much started to scratch the back of his neck, uncomfortable. However, John burst out in a fit of deep laughter.

"Oh, those two… off in the woods. _Alone. _Doing who knows what." He shook his head, remembering his wife suddenly. "Let 'em be young."

Behind him, Bri and Allan seemed to be having a silent conversation that involved a lot of nodding and hand motions, but Robin was too preoccupied to care. "Oh, we'll tell them later, when they get back. But listen; Gisbourne's found out what happened with the tax money. He's got a search party out for Bri; they're asking the peasants for information in exchange for money."

The smiles slipped, one by one, off of each outlaws' face. Bri turned a deathly shade somewhere between white and green.

"Did'ya hear what the peasants said, Robin?" Allan asked, his face stony serious. "'Bout us, I mean?"

Robin sighed. "No, but I could definitely see them talking."

Bri turned suddenly and took off at a fast walk towards the shelter. Allan, concern masking his face, took off behind her.

"Hey Bri. BRI! What d'ya think you're doin'?" he asked, placing a restraining arm on her shoulder, forcing her to turn around. Tears streamed down the girl's face, and Robin felt a flash of sympathy for her. She looked so alone, so _small._

"I- I'm leaving." Bri's face was a mask of determination, but Robin could see the fear hiding just beneath the surface.

Allan was so shocked, his hand slipped right from her arm. "What? Why?"

The girl spun around again, this time looking very frustrated. "_Why? _Is it not obvious? I'm a danger to the gang- because of me, my father is trying to find us and he'll _kill you!_ Suppose someone saw us yesterday, kiss- during the raid. You'd automatically be an even bigger target than before! "

Robin opened his mouth, perhaps to speak, but when Bri uttered the last part, he closed it again. Maybe this fight had better be left to Allan to sort out. Either way, it would be a shame if Bri were to leave the outlaws- he loved her like family now. But if anyone were to convince her, it would be Allan.

"I told you, I would _deal with it!" _Allan's face contorted with anger. "I'm not weak, you know! I can handle myself _and _take care of you too!"

For a moment, fear passed across Bri's features, but it was gone just like that. "It doesn't matter. I can't simply put the lives of my friends- my _family-_ in danger just because you asked me to. It doesn't work that way."

Much spoke up suddenly, reminding everyone that he was there. "Bri, you're misunderstanding. We consider you family too, and family doesn't just leave family to fend for themselves. It doesn't work _that way _either." Bri's face held no emotion, but she was thinking about Much's words. Finally, she sighed, sweeping past Allan without so much as a backwards glance.

"Fine. I'll stay. But I'm warning you, things are going to get a _lot _harder now with this search going on."

This time, Robin was the one to break the silence.

"We're outlaws, luv. Difficulty is another word for adventure."


End file.
